Artificial whalebone and process of making same.



WILHELM ANTON CASPER IlUNKEMOLLER, OF AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS.

ARTIFICIAL WHALEBONE AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 676,134, dated June 11, 1901.

Application filed October 9, 1896. Serial No. 608,390. o Spec e T ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILHELM ANTON CAS- PER I-IUNKnMoLLnR, a citizen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and a resident of Amsterdam, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, have invented a new and useful Artificial Whalebone and a Process of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to artificial whalebone; and the object of my invention is to produce a substance which will possess all of the desirable qualities of natural whaleboue such as elasticity, homogeneity,'toughness, tensilestrength, and durability and also the appearance thereof and which will be less brittle than whalebone.

My invention consists in a new product derived from bonesnamely, an artificial whaleboue-and the invention also consists in a process of manufacturing such artificial whalebone from bones, which process comprises the following steps, to wit: exposing the bone to an agent that removes the calcareous matter therefrom; second, subjecting the residual organic substance or collagen to a toughening or hardening agent, whereby it is practically tanned, and, lastly, drying the toughened product and finishing the same to resemble natural whalebone.

Bones of any kind maybe used in carrying out my invention.

In carrying out my process the bones are first stripped of all fleshy matter and grease, the Work being done by hand or by a suitablyconstructed scraping-machine, or the fleshy parts may be removed by other well-known processes in general use,as with boiling water, benzin,or sulfuret of carbon. However, I prefer the manual process, as a chemical that will dissolve such parts upon the bone is apt to damageitforafteruse. Aftertheyhavebeen cleaned the bones are treated for severaldays with diluted hydrochloric acid of about 1,015 to 1,017 specific gravity (stronger acid acting faster, but destroying more substance) to remove the calcareous substancesmost1y lime and phosphoric saltsforming part of the bone structure. The duration of this treatment corresponds with the strength of the acid employed. When the bones are removed from the hydrochloric or like acid,

they are cleansed. At this stage of the process the bones are soft and flexible, only the cell structure of residual organic matter being retained. The bones are now tanned to give permanency to the cell structures and make them insoluble. This is done with a saturated aqueous solution of chromic salts, from which latter group I preferably select chrome-alum as the cheapest and most desirabletanningagent. The boues,astheymay still be called, remain in this solution for from three to five days until they are thoroughly tanned. The tanning process may be carried on by treating the collagenic or residual organic matter to baths of successivelystronger solutions, if desired. Various ingredients may be added to the tanning solution without departing from my invention. When the bones are removed from the tanning solution, they are tough, strong, and elastic. They are then rinsed with water and after being subjected to a superficial drying are finally dried and finished.

The finished bones are split or cut into strips corresponding in size and form to commercial whalebone. If desired, the soft bones from the chromic-acid bath may be cut into strips before being finished. This product has the color of whalebone and possesses the same qualities of strength and flexibility as natural whalebone without the tendency of the natural article to split and flake.

I regardas equivalents those metallic salts which are known to chemists to behave toward collagen as do the salts of chromium.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A new article of manufacture comprising the organic residue of a bone essentially free from calcareous matter and impregnated with a tanning agent, substantially as described.

2. A new article of manufacture comprising organic bone residue substantially free from calcareous matter, impregnated with a tan= ning agent and dried, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A new article of manufacture comprising a bone structure essentially free from calcareous matter, and impregnated with a chromic compound, substantially as and for the pur pose specified.

4. A new article of manufacture, consisting of bones freed from calcareous matter by facturing artificial whalebone, which consists in impregnating the collagenous or gelatinous parts of bones with a substance having tanning reactions, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The new and'improved process of manufacturing artificial whalebone, which consists in impregnating the collagenous or gelatinousparts of bones with asolution of chromealum, substantially as and for. the purpose set forth.

the calcareous matter of the bones, then impregnating or tanning the organic residue with a tanning agent, then drying, and cuttingthe tanned products into strips.

8. The process of making: artificial whalestance, substantially as described.

the resultant product in pieces or strips like natural Whalebone.

10. The process of manufacturing artificial whalebone, that consists in exposing the cell structures of bones, free from calcareous matter, to a tanning agent that tans said structures and then drying said structures, 5 substantially as described.

11. The process of manufacturing artificial whalebone, that consists in tanning the noncalcareous residueof bones and drying the t 5 tanned product.

7; The process of making artificial whalebone from bones, that consists in eliminating 12. The process'of manufacturingartificial 1 whalebone,.that.consists in tanning the noncalcareous residue ofv bones with chromealum, and drying the tanned product.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing; as my invention I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. bone from bones, that consists in eliminating the calcareous matter of the bones,thentreating the organic residue with a solution of chrome-alum and drying the resultant sub- WILHELM ANTON CASPER HUNKEMULLER.

Witnesses:

BERNARDAS J CANNES MEDDEAT, AUGUST SIEGFRIED DOOER. 

